Machinery and robots require power (e.g., electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, etc.) to operate. Motor-operated robots, whether stationary robots operating at a fixed location or mobile robots operating along a fixed path (e.g., a track or guide rail), typically receive power through power cables coupled to the robot's motor via a cable management system designed to position the power cables so as to not interfere with a robot work envelope (e.g., rotational and/or translational movement of the robot and/or robot end effector(s)). For example, an industrial mobile robot may be mounted on a carriage including roller guides permitting movement along floor-mounted, ceiling-mounted, or wall-mounted tracks. The robot may then be driven along the tracks by a motor-operated drive unit.
The figures are not to scale. Instead, to clarify multiple layers and regions, the thickness of the layers may be enlarged in the drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. As used in this patent, stating that any part (e.g., a layer, film, area, or plate) is in any way positioned on (e.g., positioned on, located on, disposed on, or formed on, etc.) another part, indicates that the referenced part is either in contact with the other part, or that the referenced part is above the other part with one or more intermediate part(s) located therebetween. Stating that any part is in contact with another part indicates that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.